Graziela Di Giorgi

I have dual citizenship; I was born in Brazil, and I am of Italian descent. Since I was 4 years old, I've moved a lot; I've lived in 5 countries and 8 cities, and in the last 20 years I've moved 20 times!

Maybe that is the reason why I carry a strong sense of curiosity and discovery that has been guiding me throughout my whole life, nudging me to keep moving and exploring everything around me.

I always looked to get a great balance between the left and the right sides of my restless brain. Left side as an Industrial engineer with work experience as both marketing executive and consultant. Constantly, adding skills to the right side of the (same, of course) brain, with a master in service innovation and behavioral economics studies. For the past 22 years, I guided my analytical formation with extensive work experience in different disciplines, sectors and cultures, from innovation, strategy and marketing. Motivated by my inner need to contribute and to continue learning, I decided to work on international projects based in Spain. This fulfils my need to discover and explore while moving into different cultures always challenging my flexibility. Fundamentally, this feeds my passion for meaningful challenges inside dynamic environments. On of the challenges I faced in the last years was to create a more sustainable process for an Ad agency in Brazil. Applying observation and active listening, I could understand the need for change, and over the last 8 years I have successfully implemented a new methodology that brought fairness and assertiveness to the decision process, and sustainability to the whole Industry. Now I am in Spain, expanding this same method to Europe and Latin America.

I just love to learn and to envision opportunities to apply the new lenses in a practical way, through frameworks. Based on that I was able to published a book translated in 2 languages – Portuguese and Spanish. The Iguana Effect is a research-based book that demonstrates the large role culture context plays on people’s willingness to innovate, by understanding how our mental model works. The research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics studies and innovative practices in organizations. After analyzing cases (of success and failure), the book describes the barriers that keep companies from a disruptive approach, and the stimulus that move on innovative organizations.

My current role is to lead global projects with brands, ad agencies, mentoring startups as a strategic and innovation consultant. I also teach and give talks in companies and events about how to overcome barriers to foster innovation.